Karen Cristiano

School: Drexel University
Department: Communication
Location:Philadelphia, PA
Overall Rating
rated by 20 students
Helpfulness
Clarity
Easiness
Rating Comment
Overall
Helpfulness
Clarity
Easiness
 Pros: You can just nod you're head and pretend to pay attention
Cons: She has no real life experience
Racist
Grading makes very little sense
Annoying voice
Listen to me. Never take a class with this unbalanced person. You will learn nothing and your GPA will suffer. She litterally started writing reviews herself because her reviews were so bad.
She takes off points for the slightest error and she definitely picks favorites with the white female students in her cllass.
Avoid Karen at all costs!!!!
Overall
Helpfulness
Clarity
Easiness
 Pros: n/a
Cons: Every other thought of hers is personal in nature. Easily side-tracked & a poor academic communicator.
Students will be bored to death with personal stories. No wonder her daughter wanted to move across country to attend college. Oh and her son used to masturbate to the Titanic movie. WTF, students do not pay tuition to here this crap. BEWARE! PROF IS NOT AN INTELLECTUAL!
Overall
Helpfulness
Clarity
Easiness
 Pros: Cristiano is very knowledgable, thorough, and dedicated to her work. She knows what she's talking about and has the experience to back it up. She's quick on grading and getting back to you; this is good since all of the assignments were digital (online) so it's flexible on your time. She's involved in the discussion posts and cares about what you have to say in them, and factors that in when she looks at your work.
Cons: She's particular about getting seemingly irrelevant minutiae completely correct. She's a harsh grader, but she's upfront about what she wants, so it's not impossible to do a bad job if you're willing to learn from her comments, though initially it's just a bit harder than you might expect. Sometimes in her comments you get the feeling there's only one way to write a particular news story (her way) - it can just be hard to tell if she's giving you honest suggestions or if she's trying to make you write it like she would.
I took her online class so a lot of the miscommunications I may have had with her feedback could be due to not talking to her face-to-face. Overall I'd still definitely recommend her, because if you want to learn about journalism, you will definitely learn with this professor. The work isn't particularly hard, but it is still challenging, and in my opinion it's never boring or irrelevant. I had to take this class since it overlaps with two requirements and I wasn't sure what to expect since I decided long ago I never wanted to be a journalist, but she's shown me a better appreciation for the craft and I feel I can respect the work reporters do more now.
Overall
Helpfulness
Clarity
Easiness
 Pros: Rewrites/corrections optional on articles for additional credit.
She teaches you how to search for information that you didn't know was available.
Helps make your articles more interesting by suggesting you lead with the human element, not just the dry facts.
Office hours and one-on-one consultations help guide you when you're getting stuck on the angle of your story and need help thinking of who to interview.
Promotes a dialogue between students that leads to a good peer review.
Her real-world journalism experience is an invaluable educational resource.
Cons: The class is a lot of work and it'll take up a lot of free time, but hey - so will a career as a journalist.
Seems like the majority of the negative ratings on Cristiano are from non-majors who weren't prepared to put in the amount of work needed for a rigorous journalism class like this, or comm. majors who would rather be 'spinning the oil spill' in a PR class. Grow up and suck it up.
Karen is a fantastic teacher who actually has journalism experience to share with students, and is tough like the journalism industry. She told us day 1 of Fundamentals that this career isn't for everyone and that you have to be prepared to really dig for information and talk to people who might not be willing to give it. She makes her classes hard because she knows what comes next, and wants to prepare you for it. I appreciate that.
In this class, which she calls "advanced journalism" noting that the coursework doesn't actually permit much investigation, she gives students various 'beat' assignments on diversity, education, health, etc. Much of the discussion is about individuals' progress on their feature stories, and she even insists on one-on-one meetings to gauge your progress. It's really helpful.
Not to mention that every assignment you turn in, outside of AP Style homeworks and little things, you can redo for makeup credit. How many teachers do you know that offer this? She wants you to pass, and even offers extra credit if your article is published in a newspaper or reputable blog site. Score.
She sometimes goes off on tangents about things, but occasionally they're about her career or something relevant to journalism. One time we looked up the health inspector's reports on various local restaurants, including the Hans, which was gross but informative. She also showed us a government website where we could research demographical information in our home counties.
Any aspiring journalist, or even comm. student, would be lucky to take this class with Cristiano. She's so knowledgeable and practical and fair. You could do a lot worse.
Overall
Helpfulness
Clarity
Easiness
 I have to say something. I have been taking class with Cristiano since I am a Freshman. I took com101, com150, com230, com270, and I am planing to take more her classes before I graduate. Unfortunately to those of you who did not get an grade in her class, I got all A in her class. I am an international student, my first language is not even English, but how can I did well in her class? Because I turn in my work on time; I never be late for class, I read syllabus carefully and follow her instruction. I go to her office hour almost every week. She helps me check my work and gives me suggestion. If you did not do all these, do complain her. She tried really hard and being really responsible, and she knows what she is teaching, at least a lot than you. If you don't need to learn anything, or you think you know everything already, don't come to college then. IF YOU DON"T DO YOUR SHIT, it is NOT her fault to give you a bad grade!!
Overall
Helpfulness
Clarity
Easiness
 Pros: Very Energetic
Easy to understand
Ms. Cristiano is a great teacher. Starting the first day of class she was very energetic and made the class very entertaining which makes you want to listen to her. She makes the material easy to understand and always offers her help. For assignments and projects she gives you the opportunity to turn it in early so she can look at it and let you know what you need to fix. The day before the exam she provides you with a study sheet of about 30 questions of which approximately 12 will appear the same exact way as on the study sheet.
Overall
Helpfulness
Clarity
Easiness
 Pros: If you want to learn journalism, you WILL learn it in this class. She knows a lot about her subject and knows how to teach.
Cons: No grades are curved. If you don't have an assignment on time, it's a zero. If the assignment is in the wrong format, its a zero.
Overall
Helpfulness
Clarity
Easiness
 Pros: none
Cons: everything
It's really quite simple. If you have respect for yourself, you GPA, Drexel, and the journalism focus, you WILL NOT take this professor. Take a respected professor like Bishop or Hagemann, because they have legitimate professional experience and will not fail you for tiny mistakes that, in the professional world, would be fixed by any copy editor.
Please, head my warning and do not trust your skills and experience because they are worth nothing in this class. No one is talented, or stupid, enough to receive anything higher than a C in this course. Period.
Overall
Helpfulness
Clarity
Easiness
 Pros: Expectations for all speeches are very clear, and grading is consistent with those expectations. She is very fair and always willing to help if you ask for it.
Lots of people hate Karen because she's a hard grader, but she's not unfair at all. She wants all of her students to be successful in life, and so she holds you to the same standards of excellence you would be held to in the professional world. I can understand why non-communication majors might find this annoying, but I find it extremely helpful as a communication major. Karen is my favorite teacher at Drexel.
Overall
Helpfulness
Clarity
Easiness
 I understand the reasoning behind many of the negative reviews here, but Karen is really not that bad. Yes, she takes off big points for small errors and omissions, but you can easily avoid these penalties by simply following all the directions. She very specifically lists the things she wants you to discuss in each assignment, and if you follow all these instructions, you will get a perfect score. She will even read a draft of your paper before it is due and will tell you everything you need to fix to get an A+.
Her tests are also extremely easy. She tells you all the questions the class before the test so you know exactly what you need to study. If you copy all the notes exactly as she writes them on the board and you follow all of her directions, this class is an easy A. Aside from grading, Karen is the friendliest professor I had in my first term here. I am a com major, and I look forward to taking as many com classes as I possibly can with her in the future.
Overall
Helpfulness
Clarity
Easiness
 By far the worst professor I've ever had at Drexel and probably the worst one that exists here. She will put on the obviously fake "nice teacher" routine the first week of class...don't be fooled. The majority of class time will be spent listening to her stories about the students shes failed in the past for some small error such as using size 11 font instead of size 12, or putting a comma instead of a period in their MLA cites. She is totally unqualified to teach as she has almost zero real-life business experience to offer. She takes a class which was designed by the university to be a breeze, and makes it a living hell by paying attention to every minute detail. The worst part is..everything she teaches you have probably already learned in high-school or co-op 101. It is almost like she realizes the unimportance of her class, so she tries to be as big of a bitch as possible to make herself feel more important. She constantly degrades students in class if they make honest mistakes. This is usually done by making some sort of snide, passive-agressive remark followed by an obnoxious cackle.
Which reminds me...she speaks in a nausiatingly high-pitched tone which will want to make you cry or throw up. I went through 2 whole bottles of advil in the 10 weeks I was in her class.
I am normally an A student and I don't usually complain about professors if I get below that...because it is usually my fault. However, in this class...it was seriously the horrible professor. Do yourself a favor and pick someone else.
Overall
Helpfulness
Clarity
Easiness
 I dont know what teacher all the people complaining had, but it must not have been Cristiano. She is so helpful and makes it hard for you not to get an A. she has reviews with the questions she puts on her exams before every test. just be sure to write in detail for the exams--which are not hard if you go to the review. she lets you miss 2 classes, but thats it. i brought my paper to her before i handed it in, she checked it and fixed everything--received full credit for that assignment. the people who complain about her must be the biggest slackers there are, because it's pretty much impossible not to get an A in her class.
Overall
Helpfulness
Clarity
Easiness
 Karen Cristiano is one of the best teachers out there. She always cares about her students, I've taken her 3 times now, and she makes class interesting. (Don't know why people are complaining, you probably just didn't do well and are bitter.) She rarely gives homework and gives you every question to each test the day before. You can submit papers early to her to have them checked, then go fix them and hand them back so you're basically guaranteed an A on them.
Overall
Helpfulness
Clarity
Easiness
 She is a very good teacher. The work isn't hard and she understand that most people who take the class aren't comm majors. She does light notes in a class and then talks the rest of the time. There are like 2 quizes and three papers that are a joke. She will even read your papers before hand, grade them, and return them so you can correct them. She cares about her students. I have seen her give like 3 retest on the quizes when some kids didn't study, she always says it is the last time but always breaks in the end. She is very mom-ish but in a good way.
Overall
Helpfulness
Clarity
Easiness
 dont expect to get an A in this class unless you plan on devoting your entire life writing her papers and perfecting her format.
Overall
Helpfulness
Clarity
Easiness
 You would think that Communications is an easy class but not with Cristiano. You have to pay attention to every single word she says in class and if for every mistake you make on format she takes off a whole letter grade. The workload is ridiculous-I had a paper due every week. Shes fun.. but i wouldn't take her again.
Overall
Helpfulness
Clarity
Easiness
 great teacher defiinetly knows her stuff but be prepared to work . i thought she was the worst teacher when she wouldnt except my assignment 1 minute late but i understood later y she does this in order to make us responsible. make sure u r there on time and do all work . hand in your assignments early and let her check it and hand it in twice u will get an A i did
Overall
Helpfulness
Clarity
Easiness
 Definitely the best professor I've had at Drexel, by far. To those complaining about the workload, maybe you should try looking at it from another point of view. For those of us who ARE journalism majors this class was absolutely vital, I learned so much, her feedback was extremely helpful, I see the difference in my writing as a result of having taken her. Glossing over the material would have been a huge disservice to those of us who need it for our futures. I hope to take any and every class I can with her. The workload was kind of heavy, but guess what we are going to have when we get out in the real world..lots of work and deadlines. If you don't like it then, to quote the Breakfast Club, "bury your head in the sand and wait for your prom." And to those complaining about the news quizzes, my knowledge of Philly current events actually helped me get my co-op. We would all be laughed out of job interviews if we werent up on current events and that is precisely what she's trying to prepare us for. A great, helpful, caring, intelligent and respectable teacher...Drexel give her a raise!
Overall
Helpfulness
Clarity
Easiness
 She is one of the best teachers. She makes the class interesting. We were allowed to miss 2 classes without penalty but i went to every class simply because i enjoyed it. Her tests are very straightforward. If you prepare and study there is no reason you can't get an A. She assigns 2 papers but if you finish the paper you can give it to her early and she will give you feedback. Her class is an achievable A and actually captivating. Take any of her classes
Overall
Helpfulness
Clarity
Easiness
 She is a decebt teacher in my mind. but be ready for the first week, she will assign paper due in the following week. about her exam, if you keep your notes neat, in order and complete, you will do fine in her exam, short essays 12-15 question (last one is a gimme bonus)/ there is nothing in the review, which you will answer 1 out of 35 of her question. attendance is certainly required, because she takes roll every day. don't miss beyond 2 classes!! no final exam, but a group project and presentation at the end of the week before finals week.

REFINE YOUR SEARCH

Refine Your Search

Professor Ratings Search
Search by Department Search by Last Name
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ